Falls Park Safety Study Released

The city of Sioux Falls has released their safety report on Falls Park. The review was conducted for the city by Alliant Insurance Services in response to the death of an Iowa girl.

In the report, KSFY TV says the city has taken several steps to make the area near the Falls safe including the use of guardrails and properly worded signage in the area. But the report also finds several instances of people, often times younger people, ignoring obvious safety measures and putting themselves in close proximity to the Falls and the larger Big Sioux River.

Recommendations from the report that the city could take:

Making an existing sandy path area along the east river bank less accessible to visitors.

Take action to eliminate rock formations that jut into the water at Falls Park from existing viewing platforms and stations.

Extend an area of metal guard railing along the east bank of the river and north of the existing low head dam.

On March 18, 2018, 5-year old Maggie Zaiger died after falling into an area of foamy water below the pedestrian bridge at Falls Park. Her mother Courtney Jayne filed a lawsuit against the city of Sioux Falls in July of this year.